scholarly journals Characterization of Diaporthe spp. associated with spruce decline on Colorado blue spruce in Michigan

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monique Sakalidis ◽  
Carmen M Medina-Mora ◽  
Keumchul Shin ◽  
Dennis W. Fulbright
Keyword(s):  
Phylogenetic Analyses ◽  
Christmas Tree ◽  
Blue Spruce ◽  
Picea Pungens ◽  
Christmas Trees ◽  
Lower Peninsula ◽  
Branch Dieback ◽  
Landscape Trees ◽  
Tree Production

Since 2006 there has been a decline in Colorado blue spruce (CBS; Picea pungens) planted as landscape trees and for Christmas tree production throughout the Lower Peninsula of Michigan, United States. This decline is characterized by a slow loss of needles in the lower portion of the tree starting at branch tips, followed by entire branch dieback which gradually progresses upwards over several years. This dieback has been linked to shallow branch cankers visible in the phloem when the bark layer is removed. Isolates in the fungal genus Diaporthe have been consistently isolated from lesion margins on symptomatic branches. Prior to the initial reports of declining CBS in landscape and Christmas trees, Diaporthe was only known as a nursery disease of CBS. To determine the species of Diaporthe linked to the decline of CBS in Michigan, seven gene regions were sequenced from a collection of Diaporthe isolates collected in 2011-2018 from CBS and other coniferous hosts. Subsequent phylogenetic analyses indicated that Diaporthe eres and a novel Diaporthe clade were present on symptomatic CBS in Michigan. The new species Diaporthe brevicancria nov. is described, and Koch’s postulates were confirmed for D. brevicancria nov. and D. eres. Diaporthe brevicancria nov. produced the largest cankers in greenhouse pathogenicity trials and dual inoculations of D. brevicancria nov. and D. eres produced intermediate cankers.

Effects of Azoxystrobin Application Rate and Treatment Interval on the Control of Rhabdocline pseudotsugae on Douglas-fir Christmas Trees

2005 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 8
Author(s):  
Ricky M. Bates ◽  
David A. Despot
Keyword(s):  
Control Program ◽  
Application Rate ◽  
Douglas Fir ◽  
Disease Index ◽  
Christmas Tree ◽  
Infection Rates ◽  
Infection Period ◽  
Christmas Trees ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Tree Production

Rhabdocline needlecast caused by Rhabdocline pseudotsugae is the primary disease limiting Douglas-fir Christmas tree production in the northeastern United States. Azoxystrobin (Quadris) was recently registered for control of needlecasts on conifers, but little is known about its efficacy. In 2002, azoxystrobin was applied to field-grown Lincoln N.F. Douglas-fir Christmas trees at 0.14 or 0.28 g a.i./liter as the first or second spray of a chlorothalonil-based control program. In 2003, four sequential sprays of azoxystrobin at 0.28, 0.55, and 1.10 g a.i./liter were compared to chlorothalonil treatments. Untreated trees at both Pennsylvania test sites in both years were heavily infected, confirming high inoculum levels and environmental conditions favorable for infection. The standard program that consisted of 1.29 g a.i./liter chlorothalonil applications was very effective in controlling Rhabdocline in all experiments. In 2002, application interval had a significant effect on efficacy. Trees sprayed with 0.14 and 0.28 g a.i./liter azoxystrobin 9 days prior to an infection period had a higher disease index rating than those sprayed 2 days prior to the same infection period. Application rate did not appear to have an effect on efficacy. Trees receiving 1.10 g a.i./liter azoxystrobin had the same disease index rating as trees receiving the 0.28 g a.i./liter rate. In all cases, azoxystrobin treatments had significantly higher infection rates than the standard chlorothalonil treatment. The level of natural inoculum present at each site also appeared to play a role in azoxystrobin efficacy. Azoxystrobin is more than twice the cost of chlorothalonil and the data presented does not support any cost incentive for its inclusion in a Rhabdocline control program. Accepted for publication 19 May 2005. Published 17 June 2005.

Shearing is a Necessary Cultural Practice for Virginia Pine Christmas Tree Production

1978 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 135-136
Author(s):  
Shih-Chang Hu ◽  
Conrad W. Brewer
Keyword(s):  
Growing Season ◽  
Cultural Practice ◽  
Christmas Tree ◽  
State University ◽  
High Quality ◽  
The Third ◽  
Louisiana State University ◽  
Christmas Trees ◽  
Proper Timing ◽  
Tree Production

Abstract The proper timing and methodology for shearing Virginia pine Christmas trees have been studied since 1967 at Louisiana State University. Results indicate two shearings per growing season are needed from the third growing season in order to produce a large number of high-quality Christmas trees. Should the grower not be able to shear the trees twice a year, a single shearing in April is the best alternative for maximizing the number of salable trees.

scholarly journals Phomopsis Shoot Blight of Colorado Blue Spruce

1986 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 134-138 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter G. Sanderson ◽  
Gayle L. Worf
Keyword(s):  
Disease Severity ◽  
Severe Disease ◽  
Disease Symptoms ◽  
Blue Spruce ◽  
Picea Pungens ◽  
Shoot Blight ◽  
Stem Cankers ◽  
First Time ◽  
Landscape Trees ◽  
C 78

A Phomopsis spp., identified as P. occulta Trav. was demonstrated to be the causal agent of a tip blight of Colorado blue spruce (Picea pungens Engelm.) that affects both nursery and landscape trees in Wisconsin. The disease was characterized by the downward curling and necrosis of expanding shoots. Stem cankers and sap exudate commonly occurred on infected shoots. Greenhouse studies showed that disease severity was greatest under warm temperatures (28 °C/78 °F) and relatively humid conditions (75-95% RH). When four species of spruce and two species of fir (Abies spp.) were artificially inoculated, P. pungens expressed severe disease symptoms while P. obovata, P. glauca cv. ‘Densata,’ and P. abies were less severely affected. A. balsamea and A. concolor were symptomless. Sirococcus strobilinus Preuss was also reported as a pathogen on Colorado blue spruce for the first time in Wisconsin.

scholarly journals A Review of Non-Chemical Weed Control Practices in Christmas Tree Production

Forests ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 554
Author(s):  
Debalina Saha ◽  
Bert M. Cregg ◽  
Manjot Kaur Sidhu
Keyword(s):  
Weed Control ◽  
Tree Growth ◽  
Cover Crops ◽  
Biological Agents ◽  
Nitrogen Fertilizers ◽  
Tree Plantations ◽  
Christmas Tree ◽  
Weed Species ◽  
Christmas Trees ◽  
Tree Production

Weeds interfere with Christmas tree growth at any time and at any stage of production. Growers mostly rely on mechanical mowing and applications of herbicides for weed control in their fields. However, herbicides can be phytotoxic to non-target plants, can cause environment-related issues, and their repeated application can even cause herbicide-resistant weeds. The main objective of this manuscript is to provide a review of non-chemical weed control strategies in Christmas tree production and identify areas where current practices could potentially be improved or in which further research is required. Preventing the introduction of weed seeds requires controlling weeds along farm roads, maintaining clean equipment, and eliminating new weeds before they start seeding. Mowing helps to reduce the number of seeds produced by the weeds and can significantly reduce competition with trees. Shropshire sheep are well suited for grazing Christmas tree plantations as they prefer grazing on grasses and weeds rather than on coniferous trees. Weeds can also be controlled around Christmas trees by mulching. Organic mulch can improve soil moisture, maintain soil temperatures, enhance root establishment and transplant survival, and improve plant establishment and overall growth. Incorporating cover crops into Christmas tree plantations may improve tree growth, quality, and soil fertility and can supplement conventional nitrogen fertilizers. However, if cover crops are not properly managed, they can be highly competitive with the trees. Flaming can cause suppression of many annual weed species but is less effective on larger weeds and needs to be applied with caution. Several insects have been used as biological agents to control selective weed species. However, further research is required to focus on several potential biological agents, different types and depths of mulches, on cover crops types and their competition with different species of Christmas trees and their effects on seedling survival and growth.

scholarly journals Functional and Molecular Characterization of the Halomicrobium sp. IBSBa Inulosucrase

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 749
Author(s):  
Gülbahar Abaramak ◽  
Jaime Ricardo Porras-Domínguez ◽  
Henry Christopher Janse van Rensburg ◽  
Eveline Lescrinier ◽  
Ebru Toksoy Öner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Characterization ◽  
Phylogenetic Analyses ◽  
Halophilic Archaea ◽  
Maximum Activity ◽  
Physiological Relevance ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Specific Alternative ◽  
Binding Groove ◽  
Native Host

Fructans are fructose-based (poly)saccharides with inulin and levan being the best-known ones. Thanks to their health-related benefits, inulin-type fructans have been under the focus of scientific and industrial communities, though mostly represented by plant-based inulins, and rarely by microbial ones. Recently, it was discovered that some extremely halophilic Archaea are also able to synthesize fructans. Here, we describe the first in-depth functional and molecular characterization of an Archaeal inulosucrase from Halomicrobium sp. IBSBa (HmcIsc). The HmcIsc enzyme was recombinantly expressed and purified in Escherichia coli and shown to synthesize inulin as proven by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analysis. In accordance with the halophilic lifestyle of its native host, the enzyme showed maximum activity at very high NaCl concentrations (3.5 M), with specific adaptations for that purpose. Phylogenetic analyses suggested that Archaeal inulosucrases have been acquired from halophilic bacilli through horizontal gene transfer, with a HX(H/F)T motif evolving further into a HXHT motif, together with a unique D residue creating the onset of a specific alternative acceptor binding groove. This work uncovers a novel area in fructan research, highlighting unexplored aspects of life in hypersaline habitats, and raising questions about the general physiological relevance of inulosucrases and their products in nature.

scholarly journals Molecular Characterization of PGC-1β (PPAR Gamma Coactivator 1β) and its Roles in Mitochondrial Biogenesis in Blunt Snout Bream (Megalobrama amblycephala)

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (6) ◽  
pp. 1935 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kangle Lu ◽  
Tomas Policar ◽  
Xiaojun Song ◽  
Samad Rahimnejad
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Characterization ◽  
Mitochondrial Biogenesis ◽  
Phylogenetic Analyses ◽  
Ppar Gamma ◽  
Megalobrama Amblycephala ◽  
Fat Intake ◽  
High Fat ◽  
Blunt Snout Bream ◽  
Mitochondria Biogenesis

This study aimed at achieving the molecular characterization of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma coactivator 1β (PGC-1β) and exploring its modulatory roles in mitochondria biogenesis in blunt snout bream (Megalobrama amblycephala). A full-length cDNA of PGC-1β was cloned from liver which covered 3110 bp encoding 859 amino acids. The conserved motifs of PGC-1β family proteins were gained by MEME software, and the phylogenetic analyses showed motif loss and rearrangement of PGC-1β in fish. The function of PGC-1β was evaluated through overexpression and knockdown of PGC-1β in primary hepatocytes of blunt snout bream. We observed overexpression of PGC-1β along with enhanced mitochondrial transcription factor A (TFAM) expression and mtDNA copies in hepatocytes, and its knockdown led to slightly reduced NRF1 expression. However, knockdown of PGC-1β did not significantly influence TFAM expression or mtDNA copies. The alterations in mitochondria biogenesis were assessed following high-fat intake, and the results showed that it induces downregulation of PGC-1β. Furthermore, significant decreases in mitochondrial respiratory chain activities and mitochondria biogenesis were observed by high-fat intake. Our findings demonstrated that overexpression of PGC-1β induces the enhancement of TFAM expression and mtDNA amount but not NRF-1. Therefore, it could be concluded that PGC-1β is involved in mitochondrial biogenesis in blunt snout bream but not through PGC-1β/NRF-1 pathway.

scholarly journals Diversity unearthed by the estimated molecular phylogeny and ecologically quantitative characteristics of uncultured Ehrlichia bacteria in Haemaphysalis ticks, Japan

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hongru Su ◽  
Eri Onoda ◽  
Hitoshi Tai ◽  
Hiromi Fujita ◽  
Shigetoshi Sakabe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Phylogenetic Analysis ◽  
16S Rrna ◽  
Core Genome ◽  
Phylogenetic Analyses ◽  
Taxonomic Status ◽  
Housekeeping Genes ◽  
Pcr Screening ◽  
Taxonomic Profiling ◽  
Quantitative Characteristics

AbstractEhrlichia species are obligatory intracellular bacteria transmitted by arthropods, and some of these species cause febrile diseases in humans and livestock. Genome sequencing has only been performed with cultured Ehrlichia species, and the taxonomic status of such ehrlichiae has been estimated by core genome-based phylogenetic analysis. However, many uncultured ehrlichiae exist in nature throughout the world, including Japan. This study aimed to conduct a molecular-based taxonomic and ecological characterization of uncultured Ehrlichia species or genotypes from ticks in Japan. We first surveyed 616 Haemaphysalis ticks by p28-PCR screening and analyzed five additional housekeeping genes (16S rRNA, groEL, gltA, ftsZ, and rpoB) from 11 p28-PCR-positive ticks. Phylogenetic analyses of the respective genes showed similar trees but with some differences. Furthermore, we found that V1 in the V1–V9 regions of Ehrlichia 16S rRNA exhibited the greatest variability. From an ecological viewpoint, the amounts of ehrlichiae in a single tick were found to equal approx. 6.3E+3 to 2.0E+6. Subsequently, core-partial-RGGFR-based phylogenetic analysis based on the concatenated sequences of the five housekeeping loci revealed six Ehrlichia genotypes, which included potentially new Ehrlichia species. Thus, our approach contributes to the taxonomic profiling and ecological quantitative analysis of uncultured or unidentified Ehrlichia species or genotypes worldwide.

New perspectives on Aspersentis Megarhynchus (Acanthocephala: Heteracanthocephalidae) from Notothenia Coriiceps Richardson (Nototheniidae) in the West Antarctic, with emended generic diagnosis

2021 ◽  
Vol 95 ◽  
Author(s):  
O.M. Amin ◽  
R.A. Heckmann ◽  
S. Dallarés ◽  
M. Constenla ◽  
N.Yu. Rubtsova ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Phylogenetic Analyses ◽  
Original Description ◽  
Generic Diagnosis ◽  
West Antarctica ◽  
Dorsal Wall ◽  
West Antarctic ◽  
Notothenia Coriiceps ◽  
The Many ◽  
Dorsal Position

Abstract A number of variable descriptive accounts of Aspersentis megarhynchus (von Linstow, 1892) Golvan, 1960 have been reported from specimens collected from many species of fish in various locations off Antarctic islands. We have described a new population from Notothenia coriiceps Richardson (Nototheniidae) off Galindez Island, West Antarctica, and features not previously reported, resolved the taxonomic controversies and nomenclature, and emended and updated the generic diagnosis taking into account the newly observed structures. These are depicted in microscopic images and include the outer spiral wall of the proboscis receptacle, the thicker dorsal wall of the receptacle compared to the ventral wall, parts of the female reproductive system, the separate cement gland ducts, the dorsal position of the male gonopore and more detail of proboscis hooks and trunk spines. It is surprising that the newly observed features were missed from the many descriptions of A. megarhynchus created since the original description. The variability in A. megarhynchus is noted with a comparison of the morphometrics of our specimens vs. those in six other descriptions. We also analysed the metal composition of hooks and spines using energy-dispersive X-ray analysis and concluded a molecular characterization of the species based on 18S DNA gene, with related phylogenetic analyses.

scholarly journals Identification and characterization of Fep15, a new selenocysteine-containing member of the Sep15 protein family

2006 ◽  
Vol 394 (3) ◽  
pp. 575-579 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sergey V. Novoselov ◽  
Deame Hua ◽  
Alexey V. Lobanov ◽  
Vadim N. Gladyshev
Keyword(s):  
Mammalian Cells ◽  
Insertion Sequence ◽  
Phylogenetic Analyses ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Putative Active Site ◽  
A Genome ◽  
Sequence Elements ◽  
Identification And Characterization ◽  
Insertion Sequence Elements

Sec (selenocysteine) is a rare amino acid in proteins. It is co-translationally inserted into proteins at UGA codons with the help of SECIS (Sec insertion sequence) elements. A full set of selenoproteins within a genome, known as the selenoproteome, is highly variable in different organisms. However, most of the known eukaryotic selenoproteins are represented in the mammalian selenoproteome. In addition, many of these selenoproteins have cysteine orthologues. Here, we describe a new selenoprotein, designated Fep15, which is distantly related to members of the 15 kDa selenoprotein (Sep15) family. Fep15 is absent in mammals, can be detected only in fish and is present in these organisms only in the selenoprotein form. In contrast with other members of the Sep15 family, which contain a putative active site composed of Sec and cysteine, Fep15 has only Sec. When transiently expressed in mammalian cells, Fep15 incorporated Sec in an SECIS- and SBP2 (SECIS-binding protein 2)-dependent manner and was targeted to the endoplasmic reticulum by its N-terminal signal peptide. Phylogenetic analyses of Sep15 family members suggest that Fep15 evolved by gene duplication.

scholarly journals Genome-wide identification and characterization of COMT gene family during the development of blueberry fruit

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yushan Liu ◽  
Yizhou Wang ◽  
Jiabo Pei ◽  
Yadong Li ◽  
Haiyue Sun
Keyword(s):  
Gene Family ◽  
Fruit Development ◽  
Lignin Content ◽  
Phylogenetic Analyses ◽  
Expression Patterns ◽  
Vaccinium Corymbosum ◽  
Land Plant ◽  
Phylogenetic Structure ◽  
Genome Wide

Abstract Background Caffeic acid O-methyltransferases (COMTs) play an important role in the diversification of natural products, especially in the phenylalanine metabolic pathway of plant. The content of COMT genes in blueberry and relationship between their expression patterns and the lignin content during fruit development have not clearly investigated by now. Results Ninety-two VcCOMTs were identified in Vaccinium corymbosum. According to phylogenetic analyses, the 92 VcCOMTs were divided into 2 groups. The gene structure and conserved motifs within groups were similar which supported the reliability of the phylogenetic structure groupings. Dispersed duplication (DSD) and whole-genome duplication (WGD) were determined to be the major forces in VcCOMTs evolution. The results showed that the results of qRT-PCR and lignin content for 22 VcCOMTs, VcCOMT40 and VcCOMT92 were related to lignin content at different stages of fruit development of blueberry. Conclusion We identified COMT gene family in blueberry, and performed comparative analyses of the phylogenetic relationships in the 15 species of land plant, and gene duplication patterns of COMT genes in 5 of the 15 species. We found 2 VcCOMTs were highly expressed and their relative contents were similar to the variation trend of lignin content during the development of blueberry fruit. These results provide a clue for further study on the roles of VcCOMTs in the development of blueberry fruit and could promisingly be foundations for breeding blueberry clutivals with higher fruit firmness and longer shelf life.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document